Wives for 2011 Open Air Shakespeare in Christchurch

Premiere, Dorset based, ‘open-air’ drama company, The Bournemouth Shakespeare Players, will be presenting their 33rd Annual Shakespeare in the Priory House Gardens in Christchurch in July 2011, and will shortly holding open auditions for coveted places within the BSP company for this production of William Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor.

Legend has it that the play was written when Queen Elizabeth I stated that she wanted to see Falstaff ‘in love’. One of Shakespeare’s finest comedies, it shows how wives could deal with male ego and jealousy. Characters include the scheming Sir John Falstaff, the jealous husband, the French doctor, the Welsh clergyman and the young lovers! Other colourful characters include devious Mistress Quickly and Falstaff’s roguish friends. This play is full of fun and has a magical ending making it ideal for a “Royal Wedding” year.

Auditions will be on Monday 17 and Thursday 20 January 2011 at St. Joseph’s Hall, Corner of Archway Road and Bournemouth Road, Parkstone, Poole at 7.45p.m. All parts are available to audition and backstage help is also needed. Everyone is welcome to audition even if they have never done any Shakespeare before. You are asked to read the play before the audition and bring a copy of the play with you. For further information contact by e-mail: bsp75@btinternet.com.

This year’s production The Merry Wives Of Windsor will be presented in the Priory House Garden, Christchurch, from Tuesday 19 July to Saturday 23 July and Tuesday 26 July to Saturday 30 July 2011 at 7.30 p.m. The play will be directed by Kevin Dicker.

The Company is non-profit making and has for the past 16 years, supported the Macmillan Trust Cancer Unit in Christchurch, in addition to other local charities, and have donated over £60,000 in total to various causes since 1988.

Kevin Dicker is also a leading member of Ferndown Drama, who are supporting “The John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation” with a presentation of Paul Carpenter and Ian Gower’s stage play Hi-De-Hi, adapted from Jimmy Perry and David Croft’s TV comedy series, playing at the Barrington Theatre, Ferndown from 26 – 29 January. The series originally starred, amongst others, Bournemouth based actor Barry Howard who has just recently reprised his role of ballroom dancer Barry Stuart-Hargreaves in a national tour of the stage show, alongside fellow series-stalwart Nikki Kelly playing his supercilious wife, Yvonne. In this production, Ferndown Drama, have pulled together a talented local cast of actors to play all the familiar characters, and the play is directed by Paul Marcus.